


Impulses

by Vanfu



Series: Impulses [1]
Category: The Hitcher (1986)
Genre: 1970s, Alternate Universe - High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 12:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9386357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanfu/pseuds/Vanfu
Summary: Jim Halsey was the new kid at school and only one person it seemed wanted to be friends with him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Stardust-and-subtext at Tumblr for this wonderful prompt.  
> I hope you enjoy! Feel free to point out any writing errors.

**Jim Halsey:** Freshmen ║ **John Ryder:** Senior

  
The biggest problem in high school that no one mentioned to Jim Halsey was where to sit for lunch in the school cafeteria. His family waited until he finished middle school to move to California from Chicago. He had to leave the friends he know since kindergarten behind.

 _Come on, Jim. You can do this. Just walk up to a table ask if you can sit there._ Jim stood with his lunch tray, nervously looking around trying to decided on what table to go to.

His inner chant of encouragement was interrupted when he felt someone’s arm wrap around his shoulders, guiding him forward. Jim looked up at the stranger but quickly turned his eyes back to his tray. This guy was gorgeous.

“I’m John Ryder,” The gorgeous and very blond stranger introduced himself, “You’re new around here.”

“Yeah, I just moved here over the summer. My name’s Jim Halsey.”

Jim realized he was being brought to a round table full of (what he assumed were) all seniors. There were three girls and two boys chatting about what they had done over break. John and Jim sat down in the last open seats.

“Who’s your new friend?” Asked a blond girl wearing too much eyeshadow. She looked like a raccoon.

“This is Jim. He just moved here.”

“Where from?” One of the boys asked.

“Chicago,” Jim answered nervously. He didn’t know how he felt about these older kids taking interest in him all of a sudden.

“Do you think the Cubs have a chance at the world series this year?” The other boy at the table asked breaking out into a hardy laugh.

Jim just shrugged and soon the friends started talking among themselves again. Jim started to eat his lunch. He felt antsy and noticed from the corner of his eye John staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just looking,” John winked.

Lunch couldn’t end fast enough.

* * *

 

Jim thought he had would see the last of John that day after lunch, so you can guess he’s surprise when he walked out of the school building to find the blond waiting for him in the parking lot.

“Hey, kid.” John beamed and waved Jim over to his car. “Want a ride home?”

“Are you sure?” Jim started wondering again why someone would be interested in someone as young as him. There was only a two-three year age difference between them at best, but some alarm in Jim’s head kept going off, “I planned on taking the bus.”

“Come on. I can show you around town.”

Jim hesitated before finally getting into the car. John had been the one person today that’s tried to be his friend. He didn’t want to ruin it.

* * *

 

Jim hugged his backpack to his chest. He had no idea where John was taking him. The senior pointed out mundane things like the postoffice and different stores along the way. They drove around for a good fifteen minutes before John took a road heading to one of the beaches.

They pulled into a small parking lot over looking a rocky beach. No one else was around. They sat in silents for a few moments.

“Does the ocean look much better then Lake Michigan?” John asked as he took something from his coat pocket.

“It’s probably warmer, that’s for sure.”

John reached over and pulled Jim closer. The blond had a strange look to him but Jim couldn’t turn his eyes away. Jim heard a small click noise and soon felt something cold run across his neck. He glazed down to find a knife in John’s hand.

Jim pushed John away and smacked him across the face.

“What the hell, man?” Jim shouted, “It’s my first day at a new school and the only person I thought that wanted to be my friend tries to fucking cut me!”

“You think of me as a friend?” John looked taken aback.

“Well I did!” Jim had his back to the car door now and hold his backpack like a shield.

“A friend, really?”

“What’s the big deal? You already have lots of friends I’m sure.”

“They used to be,” John sank back into his seat. He looked at his knife as he spoke. “I get these impulses and I don’t know how to stop them. I’ve asked my friends for help but they just ignored me and told me to talk to my parents instead.”

“What kind of impulses?” Jim asked with a shaky voice.

“They started off small like wanting to break glass bottles and stuff. Then it turned in flat out vandalism. I guess my friends thought I was doing it for fun, you know rebelling. I’ve never hurt anyone before,” John sounded exhausted like this confession was taking so much out of him. “If it makes you feel any better you’re the first person I’ve tried to stab.”

“It doesn’t but thank you,” Jim shallowed, taking a calming breath before speaking again. “So, have you talked to your parents?”

“No. They’d just send me away.” John looked over at the kid, “The door’s not locked you know.”

They just sat and stared at each others for a moment.

“You’re not going to run?” John asked raising an eyebrow. He was genuinely surprised by this kid.

“You trusted me to tell me your problems. I can’t just leave you now.”

John clicked the knife close and handed it over to Jim. “Can you hold on to this for me.”

The kid took John’s offering, tucking it deep in his backpack.

“Can…can I talk to you more about this later?” John asked.

“Totally.”

John took Jim home. Turned out they lived on the same street. They exchanged phone numbers before they said their good nights.

“Drive you to school tomorrow?” John asked with a grin.

“Deal,” Jim agreed.


End file.
